Starless
by PhoenixKelley
Summary: Bella finally convinces Edward to sleep with her, and discovers she's pregnant. But Carlisle insists vampires can't have children--so Edward can't be the father? Bella's POV
1. Chapter 1

**I have no idea if this is how you make author's notes, but I'm freaking doing it this way.**

**Rated T for language. Do not read this if you have issues with cursing, because there will be much cursing in this story.**

**Disclaimer: If I was Stephenie Meyer I would not be wasting time writing fanfic. So since I am not Stephenie Meyer, I do not own Twilight or the characters, nor will I ever own Twilight or the characters. So yes.**

And there it was, that one tiny symbol that would change—ruin, even—both our lives

And there it was, that one tiny symbol that would change—ruin, even—both our lives. I was suffocating, surely I could no longer be alive. Surely this was a dream. Or maybe I was dead. I swallowed again and again, trying to find words horrible enough to describe it.

"Fuck," was all I could manage.

--

Of course I remembered that night, it had barely been two weeks ago.

"_No," he'd whispered._

"_Why?" I demanded, struggling to keep my voice at a whisper. "What is it you're so worried about? You love me, don't you?"_

"_Of course I do—you know I do," He looked almost worried. "But Bella—he's going to find out, and he'll kill me."_

"_Don't be silly," I breathed in his ear, pulling my shirt over my head and cozying up to him. "You can't be killed."_

--

I turned to leave the room, kicking the door as I opened it, only succeeding in injuring myself and making myself angrier. "Dammit, damn stupid fucking…." I muttered, gaining suspicious—and slightly pitiful—glances. It was then that I realized what I was still holding in my hand. Quickly I shoved it in a garbage can and ran. Thank God I was in Port Angeles and not Forks.

I returned to Forks and pulled into Charlie's driveway, parking the truck and turning off the engine. I stared out at the starless night sky, thinking, _Why me? How am I going to tell Edward?_ My head fell against the steering wheel and I moaned. _Why me?_

I dragged myself out of the car and into the house. Charlie was sitting in his armchair as usual, watching some game. I practically sprinted to the stairs, expecting Charlie to notice something different about me right away. But he kept his eyes on the TV.

"Hey Bells—can't talk—big game…" he grunted, leaning forward in his seat.

"Um, that's alright. Okay, well, um…g'night." I darted upstairs and into the bathroom to take a shower. Maybe a warm shower would comfort me a little.

When I was finished, Edward was in my room, waiting for me. "Hey there, love," he said with a smile.

My throat constricted. "Hey," I managed to whisper.

"What's wrong, Bella? Are you all right?" Edward was at my side in a moment. "Is everything okay?"

It really was amazing how he could tell these things. "Um, yeah. I'm fine." I sat on my bed, exhaling deeply. "Edward, there's something I have to tell you."

"What?" Edward looked somewhat confused as he sat back in his chair.

"Edward…" I took a deep breath and looked down. "I'm pregnant."

**Ooh, thrilling huh?**

**I realize it's kinda vague and confusing here--but it will probably be cleared up soon. **

**Chapters 2, 3, and 4 are pretty much done, I'll update soon.**

**Review, damn you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**All rightie, well, here's chapter 2. (I am sorry about the whole damn you thing at the end of chapter 1, I don't actually mean it.)**

There was a reason I looked down when I said that, so that I wouldn't have to see Edward's face

There was a reason I looked down when I said that, so that I wouldn't have to see Edward's face. But the silence was too long, and I had to look up. Bad idea.

Edward's eyes—his amazing eyes, his hypnotic eyes—were wide and almost horrified. His jaw hung open in shock. This was Edward, still my Edward, and I had just about ruined his life. Looking into his tawny eyes I couldn't bear it anymore. I burst into tears.

"Bella!" Edward leapt onto the bed and wrapped his arms around me. "Oh, Bella, don't cry." He was one to talk. He looked to be on the verge of tears himself. "Bella, Bella, it's all right, Bella…" he whispered in my ear, gripping my shoulders. It took me several minutes, but I finally stopped crying enough to speak.

"Edward—I can't do this—I can't be—" I sniffed, trying to form a complete sentence. "How can we possibly have a—baby?"

Edward looked pained. Instead of answering, he asked quietly, "When did you find out, Bells?"

"Just today." I sniffled.

"And it's…." He struggled to find the words. "It's…mine, right?"

For a moment I was uneasy. "Of course it is," I tried to glare at him, but that's just something a person can't do: glare at Edward. You take one look into his eyes, or even at his godlike face, and any negative feelings just disappear.

"I'm sorry," Edward murmured. "I'm sorry, Bella, it'll be all right." He shifted back into comforting mode and I buried my face in his cold, rock-hard chest. We sat in silence for what seemed like hours, clutching each other for dear life.

"Edward," I finally broke the silence. "We can't stay here. I can't face everyone—can't tell them…" I trailed off.

He seemed to understand. He was quiet for a minute, staring out the window. "We could leave," he said finally.

"What?" I breathed. "Really?"

"We could leave. Tonight. Right now. To Alaska." He looked at me. "Is that what you want?"

I didn't know what I wanted. But I nodded.

--

Not twenty minutes later we were outside Charlie's house. Edward didn't want to go back to his house for anything. "If I go back, I won't want to leave. Anyway, there's nothing I want to bring with me but you." he'd said, the ghost of a smile showing on his angelic face.

I, however, had needed to pack. And I overpack. Every time I put something in my suitcase, Edward took it out, telling me how I didn't need it. Eventually we were able to leave with about a week's worth of clothing and my cell phone. "I'll buy you any clothes you want once we get there," Edward promised.

We left the house through the window, Edward carefully carrying me and climbing down the tree. "Ready?" he asked me. I nodded sourly, unhappy at the thought of running all the way to Alaska.

Edward didn't need to read my mind to notice this. "Don't worry, sweet, we'll be there before you know it."

And we were off, Edward sprinting into the starless night with me in his arms.

**I'm really having fun with this story, please please review because I'd love to hear what people think. Thanks to the people who've reviewed already. **

**I promise to update ASAP--Chapter 3 is done, Chapter 4 is in progress.**

**Alsooooo, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, but let me know what your vote is as to future-cullen-baby's gender and name. **

**-Phoenix**


	3. Chapter 3

**All rightie, here's my fabulous third chapter. Enjoy.**

Edward ran all night

Edward ran all night. Dawn was breaking as he slowed to a stop in front of a cheery _Welcome to Juneau!_ sign. I hadn't been able to sleep with the constant motion, so it wasn't until he stopped that I realized how tired I was. Edward did not put me down there, however, he continued to carry me until we were inside the dumpy-looking Sunrise Inn.

He walked up to the front desk, still holding me. The tired-looking teenaged clerk gave us a bored glare as we approached. Edward somehow managed to get out his credit card and pay for the room without putting me down. We were heading into the elevator when the kid at the desk smirked and said, "You two have_ fun_ together."

Edward turned, fury in his eyes as he realized what he meant. He seemed to be resisting the urge to deck the kid in the face. "Thanks," he grunted, giving him a dagger glare as the elevator doors closed.

Once we got into the room, Edward laid me down on the bed. I was about to ask why he didn't just let me walk before, but before I could even open my mouth I was asleep.

--

"Morning, sunshine," Edward grinned at me as I groggily opened my eyes. I began to sit up and immediately dove over the side of the bed to puke in the trash can.

"Damn, is this what I'm gonna have to put up with every day?" I said irritably, getting out of bed and running for the bathroom to throw up some more.

Edward followed me in and held my hair back while I leaned over the toilet. "I ordered you some breakfast," he said. "Hopefully it doesn't poison you. This dump's kitchen probably isn't that clean."

I poked at some rubbery scrambled eggs. "What do we do now?" I asked.

Edward didn't look very sure himself. "I don't know, sweet. Maybe Alice can help us with that." He noticed my confused look. "Well, I would guess that someone has noticed we're gone by now, or else Alice has seen it, so we should be getting a call from her—"

He was interrupted by the sound of my cell phone ringing. "Right about now," he finished, chuckling.

I dug my phone out of my suitcase—of course it was on the very bottom—and picked up. "Hello?"

"Bella! Where are you? Are you with Edward? Charlie is having a huge fit, he's downstairs, when did you leave? Last night? _Why_ did you leave?" There was a brief pause and a gasp. "_Bella Swan!_ Why didn't you tell me sooner??" Alice screeched.

"Yeah, great to talk to you too," I said sarcastically. "Can you ask me those questions again, but slower?"

Alice ignored me. "Bella! You know what I'm talking about! Tell me right now, you're pregnant, aren't you? Why didn't you _tell_ me??"

"Because I just found out yesterday, and the only person I told was Edward," I snapped. "I'm guessing you had a little vision there, right?"

"Of course," Alice said distractedly. "Omigosh, Bella, I can't _believe_ it! Do you want us to tell Charlie? Should I keep it quiet? No, wait, back to the first question, _where are you?_"

"Um, we're in Juneau," I said carefully.

"Juneau? God, Bella, why not just go to Mars? Charlie is completely freaked out, you know. Edward's with you, right? That's what Charlie thought. Well, actually he thought you guys were here, you know, 'fooling around'—that's what he said—but obviously you weren't since you're in Juneau—wait, here's Charlie!"

_Crap_, I thought.

Charlie began roaring in my ear. "ISABELLA SWAN! Where _are_ you? Are you with Edward?" It pissed me off how he said 'Edward'—like he was talking about a deadly virus or some kind of disgusting food.

"Um, yeah, Charlie, I'm with Edward," I whispered. "We're kind of…in…Juneau."

"Juneau? As in _Juneau, Alaska_? With that hooligan?" Charlie was bellowing now. I had to move the phone away from my ear to save myself from hearing damage. Edward could hear him and looked more protective than insulted.

"He's not a _hooligan_, Charlie," I said meekly. "Um, there's something else I have to tell you."

Edward's eyes widened. "You're going to tell him?" he whispered. "Are you crazy? He's going to have a stroke."

"What?" Charlie barked. "If you're going to make up some lie to get you out of trouble, it's sure as hell not going to work, because you're grounded for the rest of your _life_ as it is!"

"Uh, no, that's not what it is," I was he wasn't able to hear me. My voice was barely a whisper. "Me and Edward…I'm kind of…pregnant." I winced and threw my phone onto the unmade bed, bracing myself.

But no thundering roar came. I picked up the receiver. "Charlie?" No response. Thirty seconds or so passed as my heartbeat quickened. Then, "_**YOU'RE WHAT?" **_Childishly, I didn't want to say the word again, so I just sat there whimpering, "I'm sorry, Charlie, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Charlie…"

"Dammit, Bella!" Charlie shouted. "Everyone in this town knows who we are. We're a small town, Bella Swan, people know each other! This isn't Phoenix, where they have anonymous teen mothers out the wazoo." _Out the wazoo?_ I thought, almost raising my eyebrows. "Word'll get around fast, you know those nurses at the hospital, they love gossip, before you know it the whole wide world will know that you came in there—"

"Came in there for what?" I interrupted.

"An abortion, of course—did you think for a minute that you were actually going to _keep_ this—this kid?"

I looked at Edward. He gazed back, looking unsettled, his eyes saying _Whatever you want to do_.

I stood silently for a minute, the phone to my ear, trying to make a decision like this, or at least thinking of something to say. Edward crossed the room, took the phone gently from my hands, and hung up.

**Go Edward!**

**I'll update as soon as possible, I promise! I've got practically nothing to do this summer, so I will be writing every chance I get.**

**Review review review! Still awaiting possible baby names here.**

**Thanks to the people who've reviewed so far, I'm not sure what the etiquette here is for replying to those but I'll get to it.**

**-Phoenix**


	4. Chapter 4

**Tah-dah, here is chapter 4.**

Edward stroked my hair, murmuring in my ear

Edward stroked my hair, murmuring in my ear. "It's going to be all right, Bella. It's going to be all right."

I knew that it wasn't. But still it comforted me.

The phone rang again a few minutes later. I ignored it. It rang again. Edward picked it up.

"It's only Alice," he told me comfortingly, handing the phone to me. "Charlie's not there, I promise." With a depressed sigh I took it.

"Me and Jasper are coming up there," Once again, Alice didn't bother with a greeting. "Where exactly are you in Juneau?"

"Um, some hotel. Sunrise Inn," I mumbled.

"We'll be there in a couple hours." There was a click and the line went dead. I sighed again. Even Alice didn't want to talk to me.

I resumed my seat on Edward's lap, and he continued to stroke my hair. "Maybe this is a dream," I whispered, "and we can wake up."

--

As promised, Alice and Jasper showed up about six hours later. Edward and I had hardly moved, watching the day pass by in the form of the light outside. The sky turned faint purple and red as the sun set—a serene sight interrupted by a banging on the door. Edward stood to answer it, but Alice barged in before he got there, clutching a room key and closely followed by an irritated-looking Jasper.

"That guy at the desk gave me the spare key. He'd give you anything if you batted your eyelashes a little." That explained Jasper's annoyance. "Oh, Bella, I'm so _excited_! I'm going to take you shopping every single day—there's so much stuff to buy—I can't wait til you find out what you're having, and then we can decorate a nursery…" Alice babbled on, clearly over her crankiness and shock from this morning. I had to smile at the thought of Alice, let loose in Babies R Us with a credit card.

Edward looked vaguely uncomfortable as Alice chattered about the future baby. I couldn't help but wonder how he really felt about this.

Finally, Alice stopped talking and sighed. "Bella, Charlie gave me this. To give to you." She handed me a plain white enveloped, which she had clearly opened and looked at before she got here. I could tell from the sad, pitying expression on her face that it wasn't exactly an apology and invitation back home. I unfolded the single sheet of white paper and sat down on the lumpy bed, bracing myself for the worst.

_Bella,_

_I'm sorry that you don't see the mistakes that you've made. Getting engaged to that boy—you ruined your life the way your mother and I ruined ours. And then, you go further and allow yourself to become pregnant like this. That Cullen boy always seemed like a good person, one I would never expect to let something like this happen. But apparently I was wrong in thinking that._

_Clearly you have chosen him, Bella. That is fine with me. But know that you have chosen him over your father. You're no longer welcome at my home or in my life._

_I have nothing more to say to you._

_-Charlie_

I read it three times. And then the sobbing began.

Edward was at my side in a moment, comforting me. Alice quickly joined him. Awkwardly, Jasper approached from behind and patted my shoulder a few times. It almost helped.

"I—can't—do this," I choked. "Charlie hates me—and—and my mother will too—and I can't take care of a baby…"

"Yes you can," Alice said fiercely. "You still have all of us to help you. This _is not_ ruining your life."

Edward still didn't say anything, causing me to wonder once again what he was thinking. Is this how he always felt around me?

There was a long silence.

"When are you going to go back?" Alice asked me.

I looked at Edward.

"Today," he said.

"Today," I agreed.

"Now," Alice added.

--

The same obnoxious teenager was at the desk when we checked out. "I hope you enjoyed your stay," he grinned, and added to Alice, "Call me, baby." Edward ground his teeth, resisting temptation, but Jasper was not quite so gentlemanly. Casually he leaned over the counter and punched him in the face.

"We certainly know how to make a dramatic exit," I said dryly. Edward scooped me up and we headed back to Forks, vampire-style.

**Well, all I have to say is review pleeeez. I appreciate the 20 reviews I've gotten already! Still need baby names. **

**-Phoenix**


	5. Chapter 5

**This, the big exciting chapter. I do hope you enjoy it. **

We got back to Forks around midnight.

I was wondering how to tell the others: Esme and Carlisle, and especially Rosalie, who was bound to hate me more than ever now. Unless Alice had told them already…

"I didn't tell anyone," Alice whispered to me as we entered the house, as though reading my mind. Lovely. Now I had to do it. _Might as well get it over with,_ I thought as Esme and Carlisle came down the staircase to greet us.

"Bella, Edward," Esme cried. "What happened? Why on earth did you leave?"

Edward, Alice and Jasper looked at me. Thanks for the help.

"Umm." I bit my lip. "I don't know…how it's possible…but I seem to be pregnant."

Carlisle looked shocked. Esme opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by a loud gasp.

Everyone looked to the top of the staircase to see Rosalie, eyes wide, tear down the hall and into her room.

--

Esme had run after Rosalie, no doubt to try and comfort her. Carlisle stayed downstairs, looking at me oddly. After a while he said something about late shift at the hospital and left.

Edward and I quietly made our way up to his room.

Something had been bothering me since the day in Juneau. I wasted no time in interrogating Edward about it. "You don't want a kid, do you?"

Edward looked taken aback. A few moments passed and he quietly admitted, "No."

"You want to know something?" I said. "I don't either. I'm not a kid person. They vomit and cry and even if they're perfect angels I can't handle them. And I can't do it. But it's too bad for us, because I'm damn pregnant and we're going to have a fucking kid." I exhaled angrily.

Edward chuckled dryly. "Oh, that's my Bella. You're entirely right, it's just that…this is hard."

I studied his face. "Something else is bothering you."

"Yes. Yes, something else is bothering me." Edward refused to meet my eye. "Bella, it is impossible for vampires to…reproduce. It's never happened before. It's—"

I cut him off. "Edward, you may not have noticed, but we are _the_ couple for firsts."

He smiled weakly. So did I. And neither of us could be mad at the other any more.

--

"Bella, I have to talk to you. Privately."

Carlisle was standing over me as I groggily opened my eyes. Edward was nearby, looking at Carlisle as curiously as I was.

"Um, all right," I said, yawning and sitting up. Edward left the room grudgingly.

Carlisle got right to the point. "It is physically impossible for vampires to have children, Bella. We are essentially corpses. All body functions have shut down, including any that would, ah, enable us to make a girl such as yourself pregnant." he said, unblushingly.

I looked away.

"There's something you're not telling us, Bella."

I remained silent.

"I'm not asking that you tell me, but it would be good if you told Edward. He deserves it."

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied. Unconvincingly so. Carlisle didn't buy it.

"Yes, you do."

--

Edward came in the room as soon as Carlisle left. "May I inquire as to what that was about?" he asked, eyebrows raised, the ghost of a grin on his face.

"Stop smiling," I sighed. "If you keep smiling I just won't be able to tell you."

Well, that did the trick. His godlike smile disappeared. "What is it?"

"Do you remember that time…a month ago…when you went hunting with Emmett and Jasper?" I asked quietly. Edward nodded, confusion in his eyes. _Don't look at his eyes, dammit, do you want to make this worse?_ That voice in the back of my head was always right.

"I did something…really, really horrible." I whispered. My voice was getting softer as I went on. Maybe if I stretched this out long enough, he wouldn't be able to hear me by the time I told him what exactly I did. _No_, my conscience whispered, _get it over with_.

"What is it, love?"

"I…I slept with Jacob."

Edward didn't say anything. He didn't look at me.

Edward Cullen stood up and jumped out the window.

**Oooh, did you looooove it? Let me clear some things up.**

**Now, obviously, Edward can't commit suicide, and I'm unsure if he was trying or if he just wanted to get the hell away.**

**Take a look at the first chapter again. Did I fool you? Here's the secret: that guy talking in italics? Nope. Not Edward. Jacob!**

**I have 778 hits and only 27 reviews. Something is wrong here. If you're gonna read, get your ass over here and review!**

**Thanks for all the name suggestions I got, I think I've decided, so I won't be needing any more.**

**I'll update soon as I possible can, loves!**

**-Phoenix**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is inspired by One and Only by Timbaland and Fall Out Boy, and not just because that is my new ultimate favorite song.**

Edward didn't come back that day. He didn't come back the next day, or the day after that.

I didn't have to look after he jumped out the window; I knew he was leaving again. And I went into shutdown mode, just like last time.

Alice came running into Edward's room moments after he left. "Bella, where's Edward? I saw him—" She saw me sitting there alone and her eyes filled with pity. "Oh, Bella,"

I didn't cry. I couldn't make the tears come.

--

Alice made me go back to Charlie's that very same day. "You have to get your stuff," she said, pulling me out the door. I didn't really put up a fight, following passively as she plunked me in her yellow Porsche and drove me to Charlie's.

I kept my eyes down as we approached the front door. Alice, on the other hand, kept her head up and let her anger show plainly in her tawny eyes.

It took Charlie five minutes to answer the door. Alice was about to rip it off its hinges when he opened it.

"Alice Cullen," he greeted her coldly, refusing to even look at me. "Where's your brother?" he smirked.

"He's not here right now," Alice said icily, and changed the subject. "Bella would like to pack up her remaining possessions.

"I don't have them." Charlie shrugged.

"You don't _have_ them? Where are they?" Alice demanded.

"Storage center. You can ask if they'll give you the key, I doubt if they will though."

Alice was dumbfounded. Her face turned a violent shade of red. "Go to hell, Charlie!" She grabbed my arm and shoved me in the Porsche, where I promptly began to cry.

--

It has now been seven months since Edward left.

I had taken to staring out the window for long periods of time, waiting for him to come striding back to the mansion in the woods. He never did.

After that day, the day my life ended for the second time, Alice did everything she could to try and cheer me up. But I wouldn't even speak, and I barely ate. All I did was sleep, vomit, and wait for Edward.

**Yeah, I know, it's damn short. This chapter is just kind of a filler, like a bridge between five and seven. And I just wanted to make Charlie seem a bit more evil.**

**I'm loving the response I got from the last chapter. I realize you all are pretty pissed at me, but honestly, I had so much damn _fun_ with all that.**

**Next chapter will be more exciting, I promise.**

**Review!**

**-Phoenix**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here's a little insight into Edward's mind. I'm not sure if I got his personality down, he is so wonderfully complicated, his thoughts must be complicated too.**

**Edward's POV**

Has it already been seven months? I shook my head. The days all blurred together, creating a web of doldrums, passing time. It was possible that that much time had gone by, although I wasn't sure.

So it has been seven months since I had seen—her. Her name was a forbidden word, a blocked memory that I have long since made inaccessible.

I wondered if she ever thought of me. But every time, I immediately dismissed the thought. It was impossible, I decided, for her to possibly miss me when she had her beloved _Jacob_—that dog, that bastard Jacob—around to console her.

I missed her. It was impossible not to admit that, to think it every moment of my life. I was lonely, that was true as well. As grand and rich as this place was, there was no one here but me and the people outside, living their lives out blissfully in the houses nearby. And frankly, I didn't want their company. I knew whose company I wanted. But I could never go back to her.

I paced the house restlessly, an activity that consumed most of my days. It was strange to be back in the house I had left ninety years ago, gone to a hospital that I would never leave as a living human. I felt haunted, as though my parents were going to appear at any moment behind me and allow me to resume my life where I had left it all those years ago. That led me to think about my parents: could they possibly imagine what I was now? Had they noticed me missing, in whatever afterlife there was?

It was strange, knowing I would never join them in death.

And then my thoughts would wander to _her_.

Sometimes I imagined what she was doing—had she gone to Jacob after I left? Surely she had. I wondered about the baby.

I had to see her. I argued with myself: _you have to see her, to make amends_; but what she did was unforgivable. _But you love her_; so what?

--

Something curious happened to me the next day. Alice entered my mind. Or rather, her thoughts entered my mind.

_Edward Cullen, you are being an asshole._

And then, a few minutes later, _Get your sorry ass back to Forks right now._

_Or rather, to the hospital in Port Angeles. _The hospital? That could only mean one thing.

Within the hour I was on a plane to Port Angeles, thanks to a flustered young clerk at the airport who was clearly overwhelmed by me.

_Bella says she hates you. But I know she loves you._

--

**Bella's POV**

I didn't want to live anymore. I'd love it if I died during this, or even if Victoria appeared in the doorway and sank her teeth into me.

At least Alice was here for me. Hers was the last face I saw before I passed out.

Unfortunately, the voice I heard as I blacked out belonged to none other than Jacob Black.

**Minor cliffie. Haha. **

**I know this wasn't a really long one either, but it wasn't too bad was it? I hope you picked up on just what's going on at the end of this chapter, it's not too hard to figure out.**

**Next chapter will be out soon, you know how fast I update.**

**Review, please! I've gotten more than 1,400 hits so far--YAY--but only 49 reviews. Tsk tsk.**

**I also have a poll up on my page regarding this story. Please vote.**

**-Phoenix**


	8. Chapter 8

**I heart this chapter. And I heart yooou, my readers.**

I awoke to the sound of yelling. Exactly what I _didn't_ need. After having a fucking baby one should be able to sleep uninterrupted.

My original anger was replaced by joy. One of the yelling voices was Edward's. Never mind that the other was Jacob's, let Edward kill him if he wanted to. Right now I only wanted to see Edward—and perhaps hit him—although a shitload of good that'd do, since I'd probably just end up injuring my hand.

I could hear Alice's voice now, shouting down Edward and Jacob. Oh, Alice.

A blast of realization hit me like a truck. I was alone in this room, no nurses or anything. Alice, Edward and Jacob were God-knows-where, although by the sound of it they were in the waiting room. Who had my baby?

With some struggle, I found the nurse-call button and hit it, harder than intended. Moments later a flustered, middle-aged nurse popped in.

"Oh, Miss Swan, you're awake, good. Here, have something to eat," She placed a tray in front of me; I pushed it away. "Oh, yes, of course, your daughter, I'll bring her in right now." She smiled broadly and hurried away.

Edward was yelling again, and Jacob was screaming curses at him, while Alice shouted: almost so loudly that it was incoherent. The voices were getting louder. Before I could realize that they were coming to my room, they were there.

Seeing Edward, for the first time in more than seven months, was like a blow to the face. I wanted to kiss him, hold him, but at the same time I wanted to beat him senseless. _He said he'd never leave again._

I suppose I did deserve it. Sleeping with the enemy. It almost made me laugh.

I noticed the yelling had stopped. This was good.

Edward was looking at me, his face expressionless, his golden eyes locking onto mine. He looked like he wanted to say something, but at the same time didn't want to speak to me. I felt the same way.

Jacob was opening his mouth, but just then the nurse returned with a pink swaddled object and he clamped it shut, his eyes wide.

The nurse looked somewhat embarrassed as she handed me the baby, as though she'd interrupted something important—well, she had.

Alice let out a squeal and shoved Edward aside to get to us. "Ohmygod, Bella, she's so _adorable_, she looks exactly like you!"

I shook my head slowly. This was weird; I didn't have a sudden, overwhelming sense of motherliness. I could barely hold the baby; it felt like she wasn't even mine.

I knew why: she wasn't Edward's.

"What are you gonna name her?" Alice asked me, smoothing down the baby's thin, chocolaty brown hair.

"Elisabeth," I said instinctively, I hadn't spend a second thinking about baby names before now. "Elisabeth Sophie Cullen." I neglected to correct myself and say _Swan_.

Alice cast a _How-could-you-leave-this-poor-thing-she-loves-you_ look at Edward before babbling about how great the pink baby outfit she bought last week would look so great on Elisabeth. "Oooh, Bella, you should call her Ellie!"

Edward and Jacob had both been silent while this was going on. Jake looked ready to throw up, which I thought was due more to shock than disgust. Edward looked pained but vacant, ready to begin screaming again. But I knew he wouldn't do it when I was in the room, he wasn't going to give me the gift of his voice.

Time went by. The nurse bustled in and out of the room, doing whatever she was doing; I spent the time watching Edward, who spent it watching Ellie.

Jacob still had yet to speak. I had never seen him looking so young and innocent, though he was far from the latter. He looked like a little boy watching a horror movie. Finally, still looking nauseous, he said, "She…she does look like Bella."

Edward, who had sunk into a chair in the corner, regarded him coldly. "That's lucky for you, dog, since people might _treat you differently_ if they saw Bella running around with a child who looked like _you_." I nearly melted at the sound of his voice.

"I—I didn't mean that, all right?" Jacob was breathing hard.

"Of course not." Edward was being wonderfully vicious. "You're just too important to claim a child that's _yours_. Get your head out of your _ass_—"

"Don't talk to me like that, leech!" Jacob stood up. "It's not my fault Bella doesn't think you're there for her enough, you're too busy being noble, up on your damn high horse. What are you going to do when you get tired of Bella? Move on to some other human that you can throw away so easily—"

"_Don't talk about Bella like that_," Edward snarled, and in a second he was pinning Jacob against the wall. Their faces were so close that Edward could have bitten Jacob then and there. Unconsciously, I wondered what would happen if a werewolf was bitten. Would he become some sort of vampire-werewolf hybrid?

"Stop it," I ordered. Neither guy looked in my direction. "Stop that, dammit!" I screamed.

Edward let Jacob go and turned to look at me. "I'd love it if you killed him, Edward," I said coldly, "but then you'd have his dog pack after you."

The corners of Edward's mouth twitched. Jacob looked crestfallen. I almost regretted saying that, but right now there was no one on the planet that I hated more than Jacob. With one last sorrowful look at me, Jacob left.

Edward remained standing, watching Alice, who was holding Ellie.

"You didn't go to Jacob." It was not a question.

"Why, did you expect me to?" I exhaled deeply. "Do you want to know _exactly_ what I did when you were gone? I sat by a friggin window, _looking for you_."

But I realized I couldn't be mad at him, after all, I was the one who'd done something wrong here. "I'm sorry, Edward," I sobbed.

"It's all right," he murmured. He didn't come closer, didn't call me _love_, and that was all I wanted.

**Elisabeth Sophie Cullen makes an entrance. Named, of course, after Edward's mother (I know it's spelled differently.)**

**Review! Review! Reeeevieeeew!**

**The next chapter will be here soon, loves.**

**-Phoenix**


	9. Chapter 9

**So, yeah, chapter nine. Enjoyy.**

**Oh, by the way, I am hereby promising you that Edward is here to stay. For those of you who asked.**

We returned to the Cullen house two days later. Esme and Alice used any time not spent cooing over Ellie to begin working on the big, fabulous nursery that was to be constructed in an extra bedroom. Even Rosalie—who hated me for not wanting the thing she wanted most—found the heart to spend most of her time holding Ellie.

I sat in the nursery-in-progress, nodding passively whenever Alice presented me with a color swatch and rebuffing her when she tried to order a ridiculously expensive crib that looked like a torture device. Edward would come and watch, smiling softly when Ellie giggled or Alice squealed over some new furniture item or article of clothing that she found online.

I think he almost forgave me.

Five days after we brought Ellie home—Alice was throwing her a 'happy-one-week-old-day' party—would she do one of those every week? I wouldn't put it past her—Edward cornered me.

"Bella…" he said, not looking at me, instead watching Alice attempt to feed Ellie a miniscule piece of cake, overlooking the fact that Ellie couldn't eat solid foods and saying 'Come on, Ellie, if you don't eat it nobody else in this house can!'

"Bella, what you did was…completely…"

"Unforgivable?" I suggested miserably. "Horrible, awful, traitorous, in—"

"Really bad," Edward said lamely, "but I love you, Bella, and nothing you ever do is going to stop me loving you." He paused, and went on. "My doubts lie in whether or not you love me."

My eyes were wet. "Edward, I love you. I'm a stupid asshole and there's nothing in the world big enough to prove to you how much I love you and hate myself." I was choking on my words.

"Don't hate yourself, Bella." His lips found my neck. "I think I can find it in my cold stone of a heart to forgive you."

The tears kept coming. "I won't leave you if you won't leave me."

"Deal," Edward whispered.

Alice, who clearly had been eavesdropping on our conversation, squealed. "Yay! I knew this was gonna happen, now I can go ahead and plan the wedding for next month like I wanted." She clapped her hands and kissed Ellie joyously on the cheek.

"Next month?" I repeated with a gentle smile. "I hope you plan on doing everything, because I can't plan a wedding in a month."

"Naturally," Alice said, nodding. "Oh, Bella, I saw the absolutely most gorgeous dresses last week and I just know Rosalie and I will look great in them—oh, yes, I saw you asking me and Rosalie to be the bridesmaids." She smiled, her face a mixture of sheepishness and joy. "I have to go call the florist!" She leapt out of her chair, nearly knocking it over in her rush to find a phone.

"She already has a florist," Edward said, amused. "I think Alice is actually more excited about the wedding than we are."

"I don't know," I said, "I'm pretty excited. Because you know, there's another promise you made, a little something about changing me after we're married." I intended to make him follow through on that one, even if it meant pinning him down—or rather getting Emmett to pin him down—and forcing his mouth onto my skin.

"But what," Edward said, with only a trace of lightheartedness, "about Ellie?"

"What about her?"

"I was hoping you'd realize that a newborn vampire can't take care of a small child."

I was horrified. It was even worse that he was right.

"Alice will help," I said firmly.

**Review! Or I'll eat you!**

**I'm quite proud of myself for having nine chapters in about three days. Just shows you how much of a life I have, right?**

**I am quite as excited as Alice is about the wedding--I am currently finding the perfect dresses and accessories for the wedding, and pictures that I will give all my fabulous readers links to.**

**-Phoenix**


	10. Chapter 10

**I didn't plan on making this chapter, but I feel like I didn't hit all the points I wanted to in the last chapter. Also, I didn't feel like putting this into the next chapter, so here's this short little filler.**

With the wedding date set and Alice taking care of all the plans (aided by the almost-as-enthusiastic Esme), the only thing left for Edward and I to do was worry. And believe me, we were doing plenty of that.

Three weeks before the wedding, Edward and I sat in his room, with Ellie sleeping serenely in his arms. Edward looked more than a little uncomfortable, and I noticed that his eyes were getting slightly darker.

"I don't know how to do this," he said suddenly.

"What?" I was still looking at his eyes. I did not want to look away.

"I have no idea what to do with a baby." He was looking at Ellie oddly, a mixture of caring and bloodlust. "And I would like to think that it's more than new father nerves, since this child is the daughter of a werewolf, being raised in a house full of bloodthirsty vampires."

"I know you're thinking about Jasper, but I know he can control himself. He's improved so much since—"

"Not only Jasper, but myself and everyone else." Edward paused. "And you."

"Me?" It took me a minute to realize what he meant.

"After I change you…Bella, you've seen what newborns do! It's entirely possible that the moment you wake up, you'll kill Ellie." His blunt words cut like a knife, but I knew he was right.

Ellie stirred and began crying softly. I took her from Edward and sighed. "I hate when you're right."

Edward smiled, but his angelic face was tense. "We could wait, and change you once Ellie is old enough to take care of herself."

I refused to even consider it. "No. No, dammit! I've waited so long already, I just want to be this age forever, be with you. How would it look if a forty-year-old bag was running around with a seventeen-year-old god?"

"I know, but…" Edward's reply was lost. "All right. I'll change you, but our deal still stands." A smile crossed his face. "After we're married."

"Mrs. Bella Cullen," I said happily, grinning widely. "I love it."

"I love _you_," Edward said.

"I love you too."

**So there you go, and the next chapter will (unless I feel like adding another chapter before it) be the wedding. Yay! Links to pictures are going up on my profile, if you want to see Bella's beautiful wedding dress, the bridesmaid dresses, vampire Bella, etc. **

**Writing the wedding will probably take me a long time, so don't be alarmed if it doesn't come up for a while. I'm volunteering at this camp next week for a few hours every day, so I won't have as much time as usual to write.**

**-Phoenix**


	11. Chapter 11

**First off, loves, I am SO SO SO very sorry that it took so long to write this! First I was doing a volunteer camp thing, then I went to the beach with my friend...anyway, up until a couple days ago I've had very little time to write and when I did have time, I've had very little incentive. Sort of like writer's block, plus ADD. **

**But to make up for the wait, here's a nice, big-ass chapter for you! 2,625 whole words! And I hope you enjoy it.**

**Ack! Another thing. I completely and totally forgot, up until I reread Eclipse, that Alice had already gotten Bella a dress. So let's pretend this was sort of a warped, alternate ending to Eclipse. All right? Okay. Now, read! **

Getting married was not the first thing on my mind when I awoke on my wedding day. In fact, my first thought was, _Please, please stop crying Ellie, I just want to sleep today_.

My second thought, after the crying stopped, was _Thank God, I guess Alice got her—ugh, who's shaking me?_

The mystery sleep-ruiner was Alice, who was holding the now-giggling Ellie and squealing louder than the baby. "Bella Swan, get _up_! You are getting married in twelve hours and there's _too much to do_!"

_Married? Damn, that's right. It's my wedding day._

"Alice, gerroff me," I ordered, sitting up groggily and looking at the clock. It was barely seven AM. I moaned but forced myself to get out of bed.

The moment I was up, Alice grabbed my arm (nearly snapping my wrist) and pulled me to her room. Rosalie was waiting for us, looking happier than I can remember seeing her and stroking the silky pink-and-black bridesmaid dress in her lap.

Alice threw open her walk-in closet—which was the size of my room back at Charlie's and jam-packed—and managed to extract a long black garment bag. I bit my lip, nervous and excited and extremely tired all at once. I knew that was the wedding dress—my wedding dress. Alice wouldn't let me see it until today, saying over and over again that it _had_ to be a surprise and she _knew_ it was going to fit perfectly and look great.

With a flourish, she unzipped the bag and pulled out the blob of white fabric that I would become Mrs. Cullen in. I gasped. Even with my incurable hate of dresses and special occasions, I don't think that Alice could have found a more beautiful gown.

It was strapless—which, I will admit, scared me—with silvery-white flower designs wrapped around the bodice. The bottom half fell in feathery, soft flounces, which ordinarily would have had me running for my jeans, but somehow managed to look perfect and amazing on my dress.

Alice could tell I loved the dress and grinned widely. "I knew it, you love it! And it's going to look so perfect on you, Bella, I saw you wearing it at the wedding!" She laid it reverently over a chair and braved another entrance into the closet, returning with three pairs of extremely strappy wrap heels. The first thing I noticed about them was the heel—it had to be three or four inches. Damn. Alice handed me the silver pair, giving Rosalie the black ones and slipping the pink pair on her feet. "What about the shoes? I know they're high, but pain is beauty, and you have to look _perfect_ for Edward today."

With the help of Rosalie and Alice, I managed to figure out how to wear the dress and shoes—which were painfully high. I did like the feel of my dress, though—surprisingly, my less-than-skinny, post-baby-body could still fit in the tiny thing—I guessed the comfort of the dress was being balanced out by the blister-inducing heels. But as soon as I had it on and Alice was sure that it fit, she was wrenching it off me and forcing me into a frighteningly short black-and-white "pre-wedding" dress.

"What the _hell_ do I need a pre-wedding dress for?" I asked irritably, as Alice struggled with the zipper on this far too tiny minidress and Rosalie watched with the ghost of a smile.

"To wear before the wedding, of course," Rosalie said, as though I should know this, "and look nice."

"Well, sorry, I'm not the one who's been married about fifty times," I snapped. I wished I could just wear the wedding dress all day. This one was making me cranky. Although it might have been nerves, just setting in.

The day went by agonizingly slowly, although everything Alice forced me through seemed to be extremely rushed. We'd planned on a twilight wedding; the one thing Edward and I had been adamant about was that we were married in the meadow. Alice had liked that idea, but was frustrated that we couldn't have it too early or the Cullens would _sparkle_, and we couldn't have it too late or it'd be too dark for anyone to see. The moment the sun began to set, we'd begin, so as not to waste any of our minimal sunset time.

Alice dragged me around the house and to the meadow, back and forth, showing me exactly where I was going to enter and all that crap. I did have to admire the effort Jasper and Emmett put into creating a path from the road to the meadow that was navigable by crazy stiletto-wearing women.

And then it was back to the Cullen house, to set up for the reception, with Alice freaking out about the late delivery of the table centerpieces—I mean, who cares about a box full of flowers? But I had to admit, they looked nice on the small circular tables that were spread around the Cullens' large living room.

It was odd, that today was the day I was getting _married_ to Edward, and I didn't see him at all before the wedding. But as Alice said "there was simply too much to do." It became tedious being in just Alice's company all day; I almost found myself wishing that Rosalie was around. But no, she was off crashing Edward's bachelor party (probably stealing Emmett away from his brothers).

After Alice had sorted out the little molehill issue involving centerpieces, which she had successfully turned into a mountain, she dragged me back to her bathroom to ruin my face—or as normal people would put it, putting on makeup. It was nerve-wracking: Alice rubbing foundation and blush and bronzer into my skin, and putting about six layers of makeup on each section of my face—eyes, skin, lips...—giving me plenty of time to be nervous about the wedding.

And then of course, she had to mess with my hair. It took her about an hour just to put my hair down—she insisted on washing, drying, straight ironing, and then curling it. Why she had to straighten it first is beyond me, but it did look rather nice.

After that Alice was stuffing me into my slightly too small dress, helping me figure out how to put my heels on, and instructing me on exactly what I was going to do in the ceremony. Then Alice, Rosalie and I piled into Edward's Aston Martin and drove to the edge of the woods with much squealing on their part and much anxious silence on mine.

We pulled up to the pink and black arch that marked the beginning of the stone path Emmett and Jasper had created. I barely paid attention to the long walk; I was consumed by nerves by that point. Before I knew it I was standing in the meadow, partially blocked from view of my guests by a weeping willow. I just sort of stood there, trying to process the joy and anxiety that came with the realization that _today was my wedding day._ In less than an hour I would become Mrs. Edward Cullen, and after that, it was only a matter of time before I became a vampire, leaving my life behind. I wondered how to tell my mother that I was going to "college" and never coming back for a visit.

People bustled around me. I was vaguely aware of Alice shoving the bouquet into my hands, giving me instructions. I heard organ music floating through the clearing. Watched Alice and Rosalie stride down the aisle, the first and only people to do that besides myself. We didn't have a ring bearer, didn't have a flower girl or anything else. We didn't know any suitable small children anyway.

Rosalie and Alice took their places on our makeshift altar, which was really just a big ring of orchids in which Alice, Rosalie, Edward and I, and the priest would stand. Everyone was in it but me. And then I realized: I had to start walking. As though walking on a broken rope bridge, I took a fearful step down the aisle. And another, and another.

It seemed to take hours to walk down the grassy aisle. I looked around at the small amount of guests, none of whom looked too happy after trekking four miles in high heels. I saw my mother, tearing up in the front row, with Phil next to her. Charlie hadn't shown up, and no one had expected him to. Billy—who sat in the back with Jacob, who looked miserable in his too-small seat—had delivered a note from him saying something about how the Cullen kids thought they were so mature, and I was being sucked into their cult-like adult antics. Everyone found this ironically amusing, especially Emmett. Carlisle and Esme were sitting across the aisle from Renee and Phil, beaming at me happily. Esme was holding a babbling Ellie. Very few other people were here; Angela had come with Ben but without her parents. I knew (thanks to Alice) that she'd had a loud argument with her parents over coming here. They thought I was a horrible influence on her, and I didn't blame them; after all, I _had_ gotten pregnant at eighteen and was now getting married at nineteen. Also in the crowd were the gruff-looking Newtons and a very sour Mike, a couple of doctors that Carlisle worked with; and Emily Young sitting alone. I noticed that Sam and the other werewolves weren't there.

And then my eyes drifted to the altar, to Jasper and Emmett the best men, Rosalie and Alice clutching their flowers, and…Edward, oh my Edward.

He looked absolutely radiant, smiling softly, his perfect copper hair blowing slightly in the breeze. His eyes were golden again, thanks to yesterday's pre-wedding hunting trip. Behind him the sun was setting, completing the picture-perfect moment. It was just dark enough so that his skin shimmered quite humanly, but didn't quite glitter. Perfect. What did I ever do to deserve someone so amazing, so….I don't know.

Light was beginning to escape from the meadow. I stepped onto the altar, exhilarated, my nerves disintegrating as Edward turned to look into my eyes.

If you asked me after the wedding, I would not be able to tell you anything the priest said. I barely remember saying "I do." All I can think of is the joyous moment when I heard, "I now pronounce you man and wife" and I was Edward's forever—and truly, vampires are the only ones on the planet who can say they loved you forever.

Music began to play, and the sun finally disappeared. Several wrought-iron posts had been placed around the meadow, and freshly lit candles were perched precariously on top of each one.

I was ambushed by a blob of hug-loving people as I walked back up the aisle. I sighed, but Edward chuckled and allowed people to clap him on the shoulder and squeeze him to death.

Alice was among the huggers, and she was doing a marvelous job of trying to break both our ribs. Angela, Renee, Emily and Esme were also attempting to crush Edward and me. Rosalie, Jacob, Mike and the Cullen men hung back awkwardly. Billy, the Newtons, and the rest of our guests were still sitting in their fold-out chairs.

Renee's whole face was wet with tears. "Oh, Bella, I can't believe you grew up so fast. I'm so happy for you." She seemed to forget that only three weeks ago, she'd replied to my wedding invitation with a lecture about how I was making a big mistake.

Carlisle reluctantly joined our group to hand off Ellie to Esme. My mother instantly began cooing over her. "Oh, she's _adorable_! What's her name? Is she yours, Esme?"

Esme's eyes flickered to me for a split second, but she quickly looked back down at Ellie. "Yes…her name is Ellie." I knew she hated to lie, but she enjoyed playing the part of a beaming new mother. I guess that was something we'd all have to get used to: once Edward changed me, and we began the long cycle of moving from place to place like the Cullens were so used to, Ellie was going to play the part of Esme and Carlisle's only biological child. Until she became too old, and became a vampire herself. This part of the plan was what I found inevitable, unavoidable. But Edward refused to think about ruining little Ellie's life like that. I however would continue to plan life around this fact.

The wedding guests crankily succumbed to another round of torture: walking back to their cars after the wedding, driving themselves to the Cullen house for the reception. Reminiscent of my graduation party, Alice had wrapped sparkling white Christmas lights around the trees leading up the driveway to their white mansion. They were so white they were almost blinding, but had a certain amount of simple beauty.

Edward and I put on smiles for the guests. He and the rest of the Cullens poked their forks into their fancy dinners, chatting amiably with our table-mates to distract from the fact that they weren't eating anything.

After dinner, everyone just sort of floated around the house, carrying glasses and chattering about the ceremony. Don't get me wrong, I was insanely happy—Edward was my _husband_—but I never did like parties. Especially when I was the center of attention.

"Is it over yet?" I asked desperately as Emily finished congratulating us and went to talk with Billy.

Edward smiled and pressed his lips to my hair. "Almost, love," he said softly.

The reception slowly began to wind down. Renee and Phil left, but not before my mother could hug me five more times and babble about how happy she was. At least she hasn't pulled a Charlie, I thought, smiling as enthusiastically as I could and showing her out the door along with several other guests.

"Let's go," Edward murmured in my ear as we dully watched them walk to their cars. I looked at him, surprised. He was grinning. I let him take my hand and lead me quietly up the stairs. Alice saw us and smiled knowingly. She made her way across the room to Jacob—who moved several inches away as she approached—and handed him a slip of paper. A note from me.

He read it several times and looked up, shocked. I don't know if he spotted us on the steps, but I couldn't look at his tortured expression any longer. I followed Edward to his room, giggling like a little girl.

We sat on the little black couch tentatively, me on his lap. His lips found mine, pressing hard against my mouth as though he'd never have the chance to do this again.

"Are you sure you're ready?" Edward breathed in my ear. I bit my lip and nodded.

"As long as you're sure."

His cold lips brushed my lips, my chin, my neck, and he bit down.

**So how'd you like it? You had BETTER review, and let me know. Do you like my cliffie? ****I officially LOVE the ending to this chapter. **

**Oh guess what else? This is the LAST chapter! -cries- **

**But, so you don't kill me, I'll be adding an epilogue from Edward's point of view. **

**And I had an idea for a sequel, but I forgot. Silly me. So there might not be one.**

**Love, Phoenix**

**PS-Immediately after finishing Starless, I'm going to begin working on my next story! And another and another. I have a lot of ideas for you.**


	12. Author's note, sorry!

Alright, I'm really, really sorry that this isn't a chapter but I have a couple questions

**Alright, I'm really, really sorry that this isn't a chapter but I have a couple questions.**

**I have two problems with my next story and I need you to help me **_**pleeeeease! **_**And if you do, I'll give you a cookie AND have the epilogue out faster!**

**Here is the first two sentences of my new story.**

I remember the date Carlisle brought her to us. It was December fourteenth, and I remember because earlier that morning, Alice had been running around, throwing tinsel at everyone and reminding us that there were only eleven days until Christmas.

**And now that you know that, here is what I need help with:**

**Should this story be from Edward's point of view, or Bella's?**

**And should Ellie be in it—like a sequel to Starless—or should I start fresh?**

**Remember, there is a cookie and a fast epilogue at stake!**

**Love, Phoenix**


	13. Epilogue

**NOTICE! I have a bunch of pictures for this story on my page--all the wedding dresses and accessories, vampire Bella and Ellie! Go look at them, it took a lot of effort to find just the right images!**

**Here it is, my nice, shiny epilogue. It makes me so sad to finish the story! ****–cries- Oh well, at least I will have the sequel—yes, I have decided to make my next story a sequel to Starless, with alternating point-of-views.. It will be called Imprinted and I already like it better than Starless. Sounds fun right? Imprinted will come out Monday if not tomorrow. **

**As you already know—and if you don't, I have no idea why you're reading this story—tomorrow night, at 12:01, dawn will break! I will probably be reading all weekend, so expect Imprinted on Monday or so. **

**One final thing before you enjoy the epilogue—to the person who reviewed saying that I didn't know the characters well and that they would never do this—well, that's the point of my fanfiction. Not to be mean or embarrass you, but I couldn't reply since you were anonymous, and I don't like to leave comments like that un-retorted-to.**

**Edward POV**

_My Bella was always beautiful, the most beautiful thing in my life. But after her change, her beauty was breathtaking; her face was brighter and her features more defined, her hair a light golden brown and softly curling. The first time she looked in a mirror after her change, she gasped and demanded to know how Alice had managed this illusion. I had laughed at her. My Bella. She always made me happier._

_Now she sits across from me, the sun shining against her caramel-colored hair and creating a sort of halo. It was fitting, she was my angel. I hated myself for turning her into a demon, but I was elated that she loved me enough to throw away her life—her soul—for me._

_Ellie sat on her lap, giggling and smiling with pleasure. She was very much an infant version of Bella. She had the same hair, the same eyes, the same smile as her mother; although there were several features about her that were definitely…Quileute. It was painful to look at her every day, and be reminded of the betrayal. It was difficult to cope, even when I reminded myself how I'd ruined Bella's life after her eighteenth birthday. Maybe this made us even. Maybe._

_Another thing Ellie had inherited from her mother was her fragrant blood. I had become used to resisting that smell, and it helped that the infant also had a distinctly doglike smell about her, but still it was a sweet, floral scent. Even though it did not smell as good to Bella as it did to me, she was still a very young vampire, and I was amazed that she could even remain in the same room as her daughter. The expression on her face was one of extreme concentration, but also love._

_After the wedding, after I had changed Bella, we had moved her to the guest bedroom she'd been sleeping in. I watched her every minute she was unconscious, flinching every time she twitched in pain, hating myself for causing this, wishing I had never agreed to changing her. After the three days past, and she woke up, I could hardly feel better about what I had done. Her eyes were black with thirst, and it took the restraint of myself and Jasper to keep her from killing her own daughter in the next room. We had to take her hunting immediately. I didn't like it at all: Bella should not be a killer._

_Bella hadn't wanted to leave Forks. Even though she knew that she could no longer see the people she cared about—Charlie, Angela, even Jacob—she didn't want to abandon them._

_Even so, she didn't want to stay once we had packed up everything and began to drive away. _

_We have been living in Anchorage, Alaska for about six months. We have found it a fairly nice place to live, although Bella tells me she still prefers Forks._

**Jacob POV**

To put it incredibly simply, I miss her. I want to rip that murderous leech to shreds for taking her away, for taking her soul.

It has been six months and five days.

I still have the note she gave me, that last night.

_  
Dear Jacob, _

_As you read this, life as we know it is ending. _

_The treaty will be over in about one minute._

_Good-bye._

_Love, Bella_


End file.
